On 29 October 2009 an Ariane 5 ECA carrying the lettering 'Forum Ariane Lampoldshausen' and 'Heilbronner Land' launched from Kourou

On 29 October 2009, at 21:00 Central European Time (17:00 local time), a European Ariane 5 ECA (Evolution Cryotechnique type A) launcher lifted off from Kourou in French Guyana. During the commercial V192 mission, the Ariane rocket placed two telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbits. The rocket carried the lettering 'Forum Ariane Lampoldshausen' and 'Heilbronner Land' to commemorate the performance of the DLR Test Centre in Lampoldshausen. The first Ariane 5 rocket was successfully launched on 21 October 1998. In the intervening years, the rocket has been launched in a total of five configurations, and a sixth version is being planned. As well as the cryogenic Vulcain engine, the Ariane 5 uses the Aestus engine in its top stage. The planned Ariane 5 ECB (Evolution Cryotechnique type B) is to have an upper stage equipped with the Vinci cryogenic engine. This will enable the rocket to deliver payloads of up to 12 tons into a geostationary orbit. Ariane 5 ECB is scheduled to be launched for the first time in 2016.